Frame for cycles and the like.



R. INCERTI.

FRAME FOR CYCLES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION'HLED NOV. 12. 1912.

1,148; 70., Patented July 27, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH cm, WASHINGTON. D c.

R. INCERTI.

FRAME FOR CYCLES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I2. I9I2.

1,148,170. Patented July 27, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I g6 CDLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH KID-,WASHINO'ION. D. c.

R. INCERTI.

FRAME FOR CYCLES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV\12,1912.

1,148, 1 70. Patented July 27, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- Z I 2& 24 21 ROBERTO INCERTI, OF"PINEROL0, ITALY.

FRAME FOR.CYCLES AND THE.LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1315.

Application filed November 12, 1912. Serial No. 730,906,

To all whom itma concern Be it known that l, ROBERTO INOERTI, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Finerolo, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Frames for Cycles and the like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved frame for cycles and the like, which shall have an elastic deformation capable of being adjusted to suit the load which the frame is to carry.

This invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings which show by way of example some practical constructions of the improved frame.

In these drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of one construction of the improved frame showing the latter unloaded and therefore in its normal rest position; Fig, 2 is a side elevation of the same construction showing the frame loaded and therefore in its elastically deformed position; Figs. 3 and 3 are side elevations illustrating two slightly modified constructions of the same frame; Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing a slightly modified arrangement of the connecting rod. Figs, l, 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevation a front end View partly in section, and a plan of a detailed construction of the same frame; Fig. 7 is a partial side elevation of a slightly modified form of. a frame constructed according to the present invention; Fig. 8 is a plan cor-. responding to Fig. 7 and Figs. 9 and 1() illustrate details.

The forward portion of. the improved frame (Figs. 1, 2, l, 5 and 6) does not differ substantially from the corresponding portion of existing ordinary frames, and may be of any known type; it is composed substantially of the central tube 1,, the top tube 2 and the bottom tube 3. The latter extends from the crank bracket to the head 5 in which the fork 6 of the front wheel is mounted so as to be capable of turning therein. T he hind portion of the frame which consists of the bottom fork 8 and the back fork 9 between which the hind wheel 10 is mounted, differs from the usual rigid frames'in that these forks are pivotally connected to each otherat 11, and also in that the bottom fork 8, instead of being fixed rigidly to the crank bracket &, is jointed pivotally thereto. This joint consists preferably of collars 8' capable of turning on the bracket a. It may however be constructed in any other way; for instance it may be situated elsewhere from the bracket 41-; it may also be replaced by a simple elastic attachment consisting of a strip of spring steel or the like inserted between the fork and the bracket 4.

The characteristic feature of the frame according to this invention consists in the means for effecting the elastic connection between the forward and hind portions of the frame. These means consist of connecting members adapted to effect the pivotal jointing of the hind part to the front part of the frame, and of elastic devices for insuringthe desired elasticity of the whole. The connecting members consist of a link element or member, preferably in form of a pair of parallel sectors '12 having arc-shaped slots 12, or other equivalent devices, pivoted at their rear at 13 to the upper ends of the hind fork 9, and pivoted in front to a fixed point of the front portion of the frame for instance the cross pin 1d fixed to the top tube 2. By reason of. this arrangement the deformable hind portion of the frame (8, 9, 12) assumes the form and function of a jointed quadrilateral frame the joints 4 and 14 of which are fixed to the rigid front portion of the frame.

16, 16 are two connecting-rodswhich are jointed to the sectors by means of screw pins adapted to slide in the slots 12' and be fixed in the desired positions by means of nuts 15. These rods are jointed at their outer ends to a slidable member 17 to which are attached the ends of two springs 18, 19, preferably of the coiled type the other two ends of which are attached to two fixed points 18. 1.9, of the front portion of the frame. These springs which constitute the elastic devices and are arranged preferably in the direction of the middle tube 1 of the frame act oppositely upon the slidable member 17 and in their combination constitute a di-fierential elastic system.

In the construction shown diagrammatically in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the dimensions of some of the parts are exaggerated for the sake of clearness, the member 17 consists, also for the sake of clearness, of a sleeve slidable on the middle tube 1, and the springs 18, 19 are shown. mounted on the outside of the said tube and attached respectively at 18, 19.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the springs 18, 19 attached to thebolts 18, 19 fixed to the tube 1, are arranged preferably inside the said tube away from all external influences, and the slidable sleeve is replaced by a pivot pin 17 The rods 16 are pivotally connected to the ends of the pin 1'7 projecting from the sides of the tube 1 through longitudinal slots 1 that are covered by cover plates 1".

The operation of the elastically deformable frame will be readily understood from the foregoing.

It is first of all obvious that the weight of the various parts will impart to the frame as a whole a tendency to move downward, while the sectors 12 have a tendency to turn upward around the pivot pin 14 and thereby tension the spring 19 that is connected to the said sectors by means of the rods 16. This tendency is increased to a slight extent by the action of the spring 18 which remains suitably tensioned when the frame is relieved of load. However the circumstance that the spring 19 offers a considerable resistance to traction is not overcome either by the actual weight of the whole or by the tension of the spring 18 which is much weaker than that of the spring 19, the result is that when the frame is relieved of load the several parts of the said frame will assume a position of stable equilibrium such as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. When on the contrary the load (the weight of the rider) is acting upon the saddle 20 the frame will become elastically deformed as shown in Fig. 2, that is to say, the sectors 12 will rock upward on the pivot pin 14: in such a manner that the spring 19 under the action of the rods 16 will be tensioned to such a degree as to counterbalance the load. The tension of the spring 18 (which aids in producing the commencement of the deformation of the frame under the action of the load, and consequently the prompt operation of the spring 19 that serves to counterbalance the actual load) diminishes at the same rate as the tension of the spring 19 increases. However the said action of the tension (the initial value of which is suitably selected) never becomes m'Z. Consequently, while the spring 19 reacts elastically in order to oppose any increase in the deformation of the jointed quadrilateral constituting the hind portion of the frame, the spring 18 will react elastically in order to oppose any abrupt diminution in the said deformation. The springs 18, 19 thus act in a differential manner and both cooperate in imparting to the whole arrangement the desired elasticity in order to prevent any sudden deformation of the frame in one or the other sense that'would otherwise be produced by the shocks due to the unevenness or accidents of the road.

It is further obvious that the effect of the elastic reaction of the differential combinations of thesprings 18, 19 may be varied by shifting the point of connection of the rods 16 with the sectors 12. This can be done very easily by sliding the screw pivot pins 15 in the slots 12 (these slots being curved to an arc of a circle having a radius equal to the length of the rods 16) and fixing these pins 15 in the desired position by means of the nuts 15. By thus shifting the point of connection of the rods 16 relatively to the sectors 12 and thus varying the leverage of the sectors 12 upon the rods 16 there can be produced with the same deformation of the frame a variation in the amount of deformation of the springs 18, 19, that is to say a variation in the amount of their elastic reaction. F or instance, by moving the rods 16 nearer to the pivot pin 14, the deformation and consequently the elastic reaction of the springs 18, 19 will be reduced so that even under a reduced load the same elastic deformation of the frame can be produced with all its attendant advantages. This possibility of ready variation of the elastic reaction of the whole arrangement simply by adjustment of the rods 16 in the slots 12 in the sectors 12 is very important in practice because it enables the frame to be rapidly adjusted for any load. For the purpose of adjusting the rods 16 in the exact desired position the upper edge of each of the sectors 12 is provided with a graduated scale 12 opposite to which extends a pointer 16 formed on the upper end of each rod 16.

It is obvious that the present invention may be varied considerably in its practical details. For instance the springs 18, 19 may be arranged to act in compression instead of in tension; but in such a case the construction would have to be inverted. Further the whole arrangement will operate equally well if the fork 9, instead of being pivoted to the ends of the sectors 12, is pivoted to the upper ends of the rods 16 and is therefore slidable with these along the slots 12 as shown in Fig. 8. Again the manner of transmitting the effort of the difierential combination of the springs 18, 19 to the sectors may be effected as shown in Fig. 3 where the springs 18, 19 are attached to a lever 21 fulcrumed at a point 22 fixed to the part 1, while the effort is transmitted to the sectors 12 (that have no slots in this case), or directly to the fork 9 (Fig. 3") by means of a rod 23 jointed to a pivot pin fixed to the pair of sectors. In this case the variation of the deformation of the springs could be produced by adjusting the end of the rod 23 in one or other of notches 21 provided at various distances from the fulcrum of the lever 21. i

Another slightly modified form of the frame according to the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. In this construction the transmission of the effort of the differential springs system 18, 19from the slidable or rocking member 17 to the sectors 12, is effected by means of a single connecting rod 16 arranged inside the middle tube 1 of the frame. 7 In this improved construction the lower end of the spring 19 is attached, as in the aforesaid constructions, to a screw 19 fixed to the tube 1. The upper end of the spring is attached to a lower eye 17 on the slidable member 17 As shown in Fig. 7 and in detail in Fig. 10, this member consists of a slightly conical body which is gripped in a conical manner by the bottom coils of the spring 18 so as to effect a secure connection between the member 17* and the spring 18. The top coils of the spring 18 likewise encircle tightly in a conical manner a conical extension 21* of a perforated plug 21 which 'is fixed in the end of the tube 1 in any suitable manner for instance by means of screw 92* that projects slightly in an annular groove 21 in the plug 21 as shown in detail in Fig. 9. The connection of the connecting rod 16 to the slidable member 17 is effected by attaching the hook 16 of the end of the connecting rod 16 to the top eye 17 of the slidable member 17 (as shown in Fig. 7 and in detail in Fig. 10). The upper end of the connecting rod 16 is jointed on the pivot pin 15 fixed between the two sectors 12.

The above described construction is designed to facilitate the mounting of the differential spring system 18, 19 inside the tube 1. Thus, this system previously fitted with the slidable member 17 and the top plug 21 is inserted into the tube 1, and the spring 19 is attached at its lower end by inserting the screw 19. Then by means of a hook or any other engaging device the perforated plug 21 which is situated inside the tube 1, is caught and drawn up to the top end of the tube 1 where it is held by means of the screws 22* (Figs. 7 and 9). Then the connecting rod 16, is introduced through the perforation 21 of the plug 21'' and its lower hooked end 16 is attached to the eye 17", while its upper end is pivoted at 15 to the sectors 12. It is obvious that the perforation 21 in the plug 21 must be made somewhat larger in diameter than the connecting rod 16 for the purpose of allowing this rod to rock slightly in the plane of the frame during the elastic deformation of the latter; or the perforation 21 may conveniently be enlarged only in the direction of movement of the rod 16 as shown in Fig. 8.

In the above described form of the frame, the circumstance that the middle tube 1 is closed at its upper end by the plug 21 renders'necessary the provision of a secondary attaching lug or sleeve 23 fixed on the outside of the tube l-for the purpose of carrying the saddle pin 20. Further the sectors 12 must be suitably widened as shown in Fig. 8 for. the passage of the saddle pin 20.

The hereinbefore described construction has the great advantage that it does not change in any way the shape and esthetic appearance of the ordinary frames and it comprises no movable parts whatever projecting beyond the tubes of the frame, which is of special importance in certain cases. In this construction the circumstance that the point of connection 15 of the connecting rod 16 to the sectors 12 cannot be shifted along these sectors, does not allow of varying the elastic reaction of the frame. Consequently the differential spring system must be designed to suit the mean load that is to be carried by the frame. In this manner the frame will operate excellently as proved by practical use.

The present invention is not limited in any way to the exact arrangements herein described and shown, but is capable of being modified as desired for any useful and advantageous purpose for the various requirements of practice in ways obvious to an xpert without departing from the nature of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1 claim is 1. A frame for cycles and the like comprising a rigid portion and a deformable portion; said deformable portion comprising a horizontal fork pivotally connected to the rigid portion, an upwardly extending fork pivotally connected with said horizontal fork, and a link member pivotally connected with the upper end of said upwardly extending fork and with the rigid'portion; said rigid and deformable portions having a connecting rod for transmitting the effort resulting from relative movement between said portions, and resilient means for resisting the effort transmitted through said rod.

2. A frame for cycles and the like comprising a rigid portion and a deformable portion; said deformable portion compris ing a horizontal fork pivotally connected to the rigid portion, an upwardly extending fork pivotally connected with said horizontal fork, and a link member pivotally connected with the upper end of said upwardly extending fork and with the rigid portion; said rigid and deformable portions having a connecting rod for transmitting the effort resulting from relative movement between said portions, and resilient means for resisting the effort transmitted through said rod; said rod being connected with one of said portions through adjustable means which changes the leverage through which the effort of movement is transmitted to said rod.

3. A frame for cycles and the like comprising a rigid portion and a deformable portion; said deformable portion comprising a horizontal fork pivotally connected to the rigid portion, an upwardly extending fork pivotally connected with said horizon- ,tal fork, and a link member pivotally connected with the upper end of said upwardly extending fork and with the rigid portion; said rigid and deformable portions having a connecting rod for transmitting the effort resulting from relative movement between said portions, and resilient means for resisting the effort transmitted through said rod; the rod being connected to the deformable portion through the medium of said link member, and said link member being in the form of a slotted sector to permit adjustment of said rod.

4. A frame for cycles and the like comprising a rigid portion and a deformable portion; said deformable portion comprising a horizontal fork pivotally connected to the rigid portion, an upwardly extending fork pivotally connected with said horizontal fork, and a link member pivotally connected with the upper end of said upwardly extending lore: and with the rigid portion; said rigid and deformable portions having a connecting rod for transmitting the effort resulting from relative movement between said portions, and resilient means for resisting the effort transmitted through said rod; said resilient means resisting both efforts of tension and efforts of compression transmit ted through said connecting rod.

5. A frame for cycles and the like comprising a rigid portion and a deformable portion; said deformable portion comprising a horizontal fork pivotally connected to the rigid portion, an upwardly extending fork pivotally connected with said horizontal fork, and a link member pivotally connected with the upper end of said upwardly extending fork and with the rigid portion; said rigid and deformable portions having a connecting rod for transmitting the effort resulting from relative movement between said portions, and resilient means for resisting the effort transmitted through said rod; said resilient means resisting both efforts of tension and efforts of compression transmitted through said connecting rod, and comprising a pair of approximately vertical coil springs carried by the rigid portion of the frame, respectively, adapted to resist tension and compression efforts transmitted through said rod.

6. A frame for cycles and the like comprising a rigid portion and a deformable portion; said deformable portion comprising a horizontal fork pivotally connected to the rigid portion, an upwardly extending fork pivotally connected with said horizontal fork, and a link member pivotally connected with the upper end of said upwardly extending fork and with the rigid portion; said rigid and deformable portions having a connecting rod for transmitting the effort resulting from relative movement between said portions, and resilient means for resisting the effort transmitted through said rod; said rigid portion including an upwardly extending tube, and said resilient means being located in said tube.

The foregoing specification signed at Turin (Italy) this 30th day of October, 1912.

ROBERTO INCER-TI.

In presence of two witnesses:

FURMENO SUMANN, JoonLYN GOUBEYRAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G. 

